Three gal pals with two decades of history are on a path to find something, perhaps satisfaction or maybe genuine happiness, only to discover that the answer lies in their unshakable bond of friendship. Saisha spends her days selling real estate and her nights with sundry men, some otherwise entangled, some not. This is to the dismay of the vivacious Euniqé, who never fails to live up to her name, even when exuding confidence and strength is painful. Adding balance to the threesome is Kandace, a woman who seems to be living the dream. But to her, the dream isn’t very sweet. She may be flush with cash, but the cost is a perpetually unfaithful husband and dreams unfulfilled. Romantic predicaments, domestic difficulties, missed expectations and daily stresses are the web these women must unravel as they battle the ups and downs of life. Their struggles will ultimately strain the limits of their relationships, but friendship can be surprisingly resilient.
Friendship Matters is a lively story that proves just how much friendship matters. Rona D Drinkard does an impressive job of capturing all the everyday moments in life, making them shine with excitement and constant movement. The cultural picture is painted vividly, with an endless sampling of rich food, pointed expressions, and moving musical tracks. As for the characters, well, these ladies have personality for miles! Saisha is over-the-top confident about everything from her looks to her seduction skills. Her personality is so big and so loud that it is almost a relief when the point-of-view switches to the more grounded Euniqé and her tragic story of heartbreak. And even Kandace, who struggles to be more than just a suburban housewife, has little difficulty finding her voice as her marriage disintegrates before her eyes. The unstable tense of the narrator affects the prose and flow of this dramatic novel, however, Drinkard’s spirited writing style is familiar and casual, speaking directly to readers as if you were involved in an exclusive conversation. If you enjoy reading about confident Black women, this book has you covered with three different ladies sure to speak to people in all sorts of circumstances. With plenty of relationship drama tossed in among fierce outfits, sizzling hot dates, and heart-to-heart moments, Friendship Matters is a splashy and spicy novel that demonstrates the staying power of friendship.
